Best San Diego Christmas Events [in 2019] for the Whole Family!

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Updated for the 2019 Christmas season!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and there is hardly a more beautiful place to enjoy the Christmas season than in San Diego! Grab your flip-flops, shorts, and swimsuit (and a jacket for those cold nights), and enjoy some of the best Christmas events in San Diego for families!

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San Diego Christmas Events 2019

Meet Santa – San Diego style

Seaport Village Christmas Fun | Photo by Port of San Diego

Santa doesn’t come to San Diego on a sled pulled by reindeer. He comes on a surfboard! Once of the most classic San Diego Christmas events is to see Santa Claus decked in board shorts arrive by watercraft in November at Seaport Village and then take photos with him on his surfboard. Enjoy a holiday parade, children’s crafts, and live street performers in this unique shopping venue.

Take a Polar Express hayride to visit Santa at the Annual Christmas in the Valley at Bates Nut Farm on December 13 and 14. This free event includes live entertainment, Christmas carols, and storytelling. Come early enough to see Santa arrive by fire truck or helicopter!

A special breakfast with Santa at Neiman Marcus is held on two Saturdays in December and sells out quickly. Parents and kids love the chance to have more conversations with Santa and Mrs. Claus as well as yummy breakfast foods and special photos taken. Call the store directly for schedule and booking.

Christmas Events at San Diego Theme Parks

The San Diego Zoo gets into the holiday spirit during Jungle Bells, which runs from December 10 – January 2, 2019 with the exception of December 24. Hop aboard the Twinkle Light Trolley to see lighted animal sculptures throughout the zoo. Meet Santa or enjoy Dr. Zoolittle’s fun version of “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” Watch acrobatic trampoline elves, walk through a lit up forest of winter-loving animals, stop to take pics with Santa at his igloo, and enjoy so many more fun holiday activities.

Santa is friends with the sea life of SeaWorld! At SeaWorld’s Christmas celebration families can meet Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer at Christmastown. Tha Happiest Christmas tree is a 40-foot lighted tree that puts on a show every night. Classic shows such as the Dolphin Island Christmas show and Clyde and Seamore’s Christmas Special can become annual experiences. These daily events run from Nov 23, 2019 – January 5, 2020.

LEGO Santa, his reindeer, and elves are waiting at LEGOLAND California this holiday season for pictures and greetings! The LEGO Christmas tree will be lit each night, and Emma and her friends from Heartlake City will be meeting kids after their daily winter show. Enjoy holiday breads, grilled sausages, and giant Bavarian pretzels at the all-new Winter Holiday Market. Watch a holiday-themed dive show at the SEA LIFE Aquarium and special games for guests of the LEGOLAND Hotel. Check the schedule for details and enjoy festivities Nov 23- December 31, 2019.

Parades and Special Christmas Events

Parade of Lights in San Diego Bay | Photo by Port of San Diego

More than 100 private boats decorated with holiday lights sail through the waters of San Diego Bay in the Parade of Lights. Great places to view this event are at the Coronado Ferry Landing, Seaport Village, and the Embarcadero on both December 8 and 15 starting at 5 pm, followed by fireworks.

Another distinctly California holiday boat parade is the Mission Bay Christmas Boat Parade of Lights, taking place December 7 from 6-9pm. This free event is highly anticipated by locals and tourists alike who line the bay near SeaWorld and Paradise Point Resort at great places such as Crown Point, the east side of Vacation Island, or the west side of Fiesta Island.

“Christmas Jewels” is the theme for the La Jolla Christmas Parade. Festivities will fill the streets of downtown La Jolla on December 8 at 1:30pm. After the parade, enjoy the Holiday Festival at the La Jolla Recreation Center, which includes arts and crafts, live music, and the Birch Aquarium bus. Santa enters the parade and joins the Festival for visits and photos with the kids. The day ends with the lighting of the Christmas tree.

Holiday Bowl Parade | Photo by Port of San Diego

See America’s largest balloon parade on December 31 at 10 am. In conjunction with the Holiday Bowl, marching bands, floats, drill teams, and a procession of enormous balloons will march along the bayside streets of downtown San Diego. The Holiday Bowl Parade is a fun and festive way to recover from Christmas and yes, the balloons are massive!

Wave hi to Santa Claus and the many bands and floats of the Annual Coronado Christmas Parade. Catch a good viewing spot between 8th St. and R.H. Dana Place on Friday, December 6 at 6 pm. Be sure to bring a stuffed animal donation to benefit Rady Children’s Hospital. Additionally, stores along the route will have treats to make the event a festive holiday. Don’t miss the Christmas Tree lighting near the Rotary Plaza at 7 pm when Santa and the mayor flip the switch.

Outdoor Ice Skating in San Diego

Photo by Elizabeth Bickford

While the sun sets over the Pacific Ocean, strap on a pair of ice skates and twirl (or fall) on the ice rink with sparkling lights from the Hotel del Coronado shining overhead. It doesn’t get more beautiful than Skating by the Sea just steps from the sand. Other beautiful places to skate outdoors in San Diego include Fantasy on Ice, located at Liberty Station. This is ice-skating in an urban environment with the added bonus of proceeds benefiting Rady Children’s Hospital. Outlet shoppers can head to Viejas Outlets to bargain shop and then skate in Southern California’s largest outdoor ice-skating rink.

Fantastic Christmas Lights in San Diego

Enjoy touring the San Diego Botanic Gardens for their Botanic Wonderland Holiday Nights in the Garden event on select nights from December 3-30 from 5-8:30pm. Walk the garden on foot or travel by horse-led wagon rides to see the dazzling light displays and enjoy the festive music sung by carolers and mariachis. Kids will love roasting marshmallows, drinking hot chocolate alongside the campfire, and making holiday crafts. Weather permitting, snow will fall!

Several communities join forces to light up their streets in an over-the-top fashion. Garrison Street in the wealthy, seaside community of Point Loma never fails to please. Christmas Card Lane in Rancho Peñasquitos is where residents mix life-sized Christmas cards with ornate light displays and more. Don’t forget about Jingle Bell Hill in El Cajon or Christmas Circle in Chula Vista, as well.

Balboa Park – December Nights

Photo by Elizabeth Bickford

December Nights is one of the biggest San Diego community festivals. Large numbers of families and friends come to enjoy this annual event taking place on Friday, Dec. 6 from 3-11pm, and Saturday, Dec. 7 from noon-11pm. The fantastic museums of Balboa Park will be open for free, and live entertainment and food will be available throughout the area. Don’t miss the Santa Lucia Procession at the Plaza de California, musical and dance presentations by the San Diego Junior Theatre, San Diego Civic Youth Ballet, Del Cerro Baptist’s Christmas Story Tree, and a diverse choice of ethnic foods at the International Christmas Festival at the House of Pacific Relations Cottages.

Special Holiday Performances

A wonderful blend of original music and dramatic storytelling is what brings families back to the Lamb’s Players Theatre in Coronado every year to celebrate Christmas. We thoroughly enjoyed the stage presentation and stunning music in the intimate theater. This year the Lamb’s Players present “A Lamb’s Festival of Christmas” at their Festival of Christmas. Purchase tickets before they are sold out for December 5- 29, 2019.

In Balboa Park, there are two historic theaters which play host to two holiday presentations. First, enjoy the wonderful and whimsical musical, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” based on the book by Dr. Seuss playing at The Old Globe Theatre on Nov 10 – Dec 29, 2019. Then, catch the San Diego Civic Youth Ballet presents the Nutcracker at the historic Casa Del Prado Theatre in Balboa Park from Dec 11-22, 2019.

Historic Holidays

First, ring the kids and prepare to do some shopping at Old Town State Historic Park. Enjoy Bonfire Nights on weekends in December for free s’mores over the campfire. Carolers will be strolling around, stores will stay open a bit later and offer special treats, and decorations will be especially festive.

Next, watch a Biblical procession of Mary and Joseph traveling through the streets looking for a place to stay on Dec 13 from noon – 9pm. Then, Los Posadas will begin at 5pm and will conclude with a choir singing in front of Casa de Estudillo.

Christmas in the Village is a free event for the whole family in La Mesa Village on Dec 13 – 14, 2019, from 5-10pm. Enjoy strolling minstrels, meeting Santa, carolers, carnival rides, food, laser tag, and horse-drawn carriages in this Victorian Wonderland.

Holiday Events at Resorts

Hotel del Coronado | Photo by Elizabeth Bickford

Many resorts are offering great holiday packages to allow every guest a chance to enjoy the holidays to the hilt. In addition, several are open to non-guests so check resort for details on dates, prices, and reservations. Roast marshmallows around a beach campfire at Hotel Del Coronado. Before heading to bed, enjoy special Elf Tuck-Ins as a guest. A special Polar Bear Tea will be held on Dec 20, 2019 with special activities and visits by Mrs. Claus.

At the Hilton San Diego Bayfront experience unlimited sledding, musical light shows, and meetings with Santa and Mrs. Claus at Holiday by the Bay. For an additional fee enjoy extra holiday activities: cookie decorating, electronic reindeer rides, stocking decorating, and bumper cars! While visiting the event enhance your evening with dinner or dessert – I highly recommend the funnel cake!

At Paradise Point Hotel & Resort kids can enjoy cookies and hot cocoa. It’s the perfect resort to view the Annual Mission Bay Parade of Lights. Meanwhile, over at the Omni La Costa Resort and Spa kids can listen to stories around the campfire read by one of Santa’s elves as well as roasting s’mores and making gingerbread houses. Don’t miss the Christmas tree lighting on Dec 1 along with visits from their skydiving Santa. Guests of L’Auberge Del Marcan make their own gingerbread house then cozy up to an ocean view meal at Kitchen 1540. Then, mark your calendar for Dec 23 to enjoy a holiday movie night at the L’Auberge Del Mar Ampitheater – this special event is free to hotel guests!

A special thanks to Katie Dillon who was the original author of this article. This article was updated for 2019 by Sharlene Earnshaw

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Elizabeth Bickford is one of Trekaroo's Travel Experts. She's also is a mother of two little girls aged 6 and 4. They take pleasure in living in beautiful Southern California. As a family they enjoy traveling and taking time to explore as a family. They enjoy sharing their discoveries and providing insights on places to go and activities to try. Find her at My SoCal Travels